When Roses Wilt
by 0neWhoWanders
Summary: Tragedy has torn Team RWBY apart. When a headmaster's message calls what is left of the team back for one final mission, what else can they do? It was time to reconnect and face what was lost.
1. Chapter 1

**First I want to thank people who read my first RWBY one-shot Lives Lost, Lives Lived. It got more favourites, follows and reviews than I had ever expected and I'm just so grateful you guys liked it.**

**Anyways, another story fresh off the printer. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

"Ms. Schnee. Ms. Belladonna. Thank you for seeing me this morning." Headmaster Ozpin gestured for the two girls to sit down in the seats provided.

They looked at each other, but complied with their old headmaster's request. Ozpin's office was the same as it always was. Immaculately clean and sparsely decorated, aside from the clockwork ceiling and his own long desk. Like usual, a coffee mug was steaming within arm's reach, but he made no move to reach for it. Instead, his fingers were laced together, thumbs locked in place. His expression was difficult to read.

"May I ask why we are here? We are no longer students at Beacon Academy." Weiss began, her voice as prim and proper as it always was.

"And what a loss it has been to this Academy. To see young women such as yourselves leave our establishment. But in your situation, I wholeheartedly understand. My sympathies still go out to you and your loss."

"What do you want, professor." Blake snapped, not enjoying the headmaster's way of slowing down a conversation.

The headmaster in turn stared at the two and reached for his mug, taking a slow sip of coffee before placing it down. With every movement Blake's eyebrows noticeable twitched in annoyance. Yet, she remained silent. They both did.

"I would like to offer you a mission. One final mission before you both put aside your lives as Huntresses for good."

"No." Blake crossed her arms over her chest.

"Professor, you know why we left Beacon and why both of us gave up on being huntresses. You can definitely find better candidates suited to this mission than two Beacon Academy drop-outs." Weiss mustered

"You would think so, my dear. Please at least stay and watch what I have to offer, before you make up your minds fully."

"Of course." Weiss kicked Blake underneath the desk. With an eyeroll, Blake nodded. There was no way she would go on another mission. She had promised herself that she was done with fighting. She and Weiss had made an oath. No more being huntresses. They were done with that part of their lives.

The holo-screen flickered to life. At first, it was hard to determine what it was the girls were seeing. Then, as the holographic images of smoke cleared, it was a village. A village burning. There was so much smoke and fire. More than an ordinary grimm attack would cause. Even if there had been thousands of grimm, this amount of burning was impossible. They saw people running in panic. Some were coughing, hands and knees on the dirt ground hacking up blood and lungs from smoke inhalation. Others were running for their lives. Some were running while lit aflame. Others lay motionless as the fires claimed their bodies.

Weiss gasped in horror, her fingers grazing her lips in shock. Blake glanced at the girl. It would be a moment later before she too realized what was going on. Amidst the burning buildings and people, stood one who did not look frightened. Instead, the figure looked angry. Furious even. All while covered in flames of her own. The long, tangled blonde hair of the figure was a mess, but was not turning to ash. The figure's eyes were glowing a bright red.

"Yang."

"Indeed." Ozpin muttered. "If I am correct, you both have not seen Ms. Xiao Long in a couple months?"

"I've not even heard a word about her since the funeral. I even tried calling Mr. Xiao Long and her Uncle Qrow. Neither had heard a word about her." Weiss could not tear her eyes from the screen. Watching as the monster that was Yang Xiao Long tear through people and buildings alike, setting anything she could not reach with her hands, to flame.

"When did this happen?" Blake's voice cracked, even as she tried desperately to remain calm.

"This was six days ago. Yong Xhang Village." Ozpin flicked buttons on his desk. The image flickered and turned to a horrible scene. There were no colours anymore. Just black and white ash and grey smoke of charred bodies and the remnants of houses and shops. The village's walls were cracked in multiple places. Even made from stone, they looked to have been burnt or melted.

"This is Yong Xhang Village today. I sent a fourth-year team to search the village. From their report, there were no survivors to be found in the wreckage. That is not to say any didn't escape during the confusion." Ozpin pressed another button. It was obviously a video of a different village, but the picture was much the same.

Death and destruction.

"This was Toa Fei village."

Another button.

"And this was Tsu Mai. Noticing a pattern?"

Weiss could hardly believe it. They had been to each of these villages. Team RWBY had been to each one. She had made friends in each one. Save lives in each one. It was a path of destruction, played for them in reverse. It matched something familiar. It matched-

"It's the villages Team RWBY visited while tracking the Cryptic." Blake finished her thought aloud.

"Indeed." Was Ozpin's singular reply.

The Cryptic had been a new type of grimm, only just discovered and documented. Ruby had been adamant about taking on a mission to find and kill it. And of course, become one of the first people in history to even witness one of these strange creatures, let alone kill it. It would take all summer, taking away their one break before classes resumed, but they all agreed to it. It had been their final mission as team RWBY.

"Why though? I thought she would never want to visit those places again? Not after…"

"I cannot answer that, Ms. Belladonna. Only say what I know or understand to be true with the little knowledge I have. It is my belief, that after the incident and the preceding funeral, Ms. Xiao Long… to put it mildly, snapped. Her emotions took control. And with a semblance as powerful as hers… you can see the aftermath."

"You want us to find Yang and stop her." Blake concluded, knowing no other reason the headmaster would have called on them. Ozpin's slight nod was all the confirmation she needed.

"Indeed. You do, however, have a time limit to reach her and recover her by any means necessary. If you recall the path, she has set herself upon, you know what village is next. From what we know of her pace between these three villages, you have at most two weeks before she reaches Saishu Kioku."

Saishu Kioku. The largest city outside of Vale itself. Thousands of people hidden behind two massive walls which nearly rivaled those protecting Vale and Beacon on one side. With a mountain; one of the few on the Sanus continent, on the other side. Blake turned to Weiss, reading her expression. It was grim. If Yang reached the city, there would be no way anyone would survive.

"We accept." The two spoke as one. "Anything for Yang."

* * *

_It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, and it was warm. The few clouds in the sky were light and fluffy. The ground was still wet from the previous night's rainfall, but it filled the air with the pleasant smells of petrichor. The leaves had only begun changing colours, but most were still green and hung fiercely to their trees. There were puddles on the ground. Many puddles that were clean and on every surface. The grass, the dirt and the pavement. In a word, perfect._

_Yet, not a single person present noticed. All eyes were on the headstone. Hundreds had attended. It surprised the father and sister. About how many lives that little girl had touched in just one short year. A girl dressed in all white stood beside one dressed in black. Cat ears uncovered for possibly the first time in public. Their sister team; Team JNPR was with them. All silent and at a loss for words. None looked at each other but felt a semblance of comfort at the closeness they all shared. And the love and respect they had for the girl in red._

_The father was the first to speak. His voice cracked as he knelt, one palm resting on the grave of his daughter, the other on the grave of his wife. Her mother._

_"I… My little girl had only ever had two dreams in life. The first… the first was to be just like her mother, cloak and all. The second. The sec-sec…" He forced out a harsh breath. "The second was to be a hero and help people. Judging by the number of people present, I know that she achieved that dream."_

_He knew he had more he wanted to say. The crowd knew too by the number of pages he held in his hands. Yet, as he tried for a second time, then a third to get words out, his voice was drowned out by the sounds of his own sobs. He stood and reached for his living daughter; his eldest. The fiery blonde who was once the life of any party. She hugged him back, but her eyes never left the name on the stone. It was her turn to speak._

_"It rained last night and there are puddles everywhere. Ruby would have loved it."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, over 20 people following this little story of mine. You guys are awesome.**

**Okay, I promise not all my stories are going to be angsty and depressing. I'm just in the middle of exams and any university student can tell you how stressful that is. Anyways, this is part 2 of what will be a three part story. Might have an epilogue afterwards, but I'll see how I'm feeling about the story at that point. It will probably be a pretty short epilogue anyways. So for now, enjoy this next part.**

* * *

Weiss shouldered her travel pack once more. There was still light seeping through the trees, but it was descending quickly. They would only have another hour or two before they would need to make camp for the night. Another day gone with no sight of their friend. Aside from the clear burn marks on the occasional tree or shrub which pointed them in the right direction, it was almost peaceful. Blake was quiet as usual. At least she didn't have her head in a book as they were walking. Instead, they were shoulder to shoulder, steps matching each other's pace.

It spoke to how well they knew each other that they could let the silence linger for so long without the need to fill it with their voices. That, or they were still unsure of what they were going to do once they found Yang. If they found her in time.

"We're going to reach Yang." Blake picked up on Weiss's sullen expression immediately, breaking the white-haired girl from her unhelpful thoughts.

"I know," Weiss huffed. She wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. They were going the right way. They had only been searching for a few days now. Blake had quickly found Yang's trail a day before and they had made good time.

From what headmaster Ozpin had told them, Yang was moving slowly. At their current pace, they would reach her before she reached Saishu Kioku. It was a good feeling. To know that they were going to save lives. Trying to save lives. It was a better feeling to know that they would be seeing Yang again, no matter the state she was in.

"You're doing it again." Blake commented, eyes staring straight ahead.

Weiss scowled. "I never took you for someone who cared for what goes on in my head."

"I don't." Blake replied evenly. After a moment, she spoke out once more. "Yang would have made a joke about that."

"Probably something sexual," Weiss snorted. "Something like 'I would love to know what filthy thoughts go on in your head, ice queen'."

"Nah, that's too broad. It'd be more 'So which one of us is naked in that head of yours'."

Weiss laughed, "She'd say it was Ruby and Ruby would turn all red and shy and shout Yang's name and-"

Her laughter immediately stopped. The joking stopped. What replaced was something they were starting to grow used to. The unbearable heavy silence. Too many memories had been shared by Team RWBY. Just a single year they had known each other. And yet, they were all as close as family. In some cases, closer.

Weiss felt an arm around her body, squeezing her gently. "I miss my partner. As annoying and energetic as she was."

"I do too. I miss my partner as well."

Yang was never quite the same after that day.

"Come on. Just a few more kilometers and then we can stop for the night." Weiss picked up her pace, breaking free from Blake's embrace.

The trek resumed. A few words were shared, but it was mainly light conversation. Nothing more than discussions of the weather. Or the setting. Or the weather again. Neither wanted to be the first to talk about what truly bothered them. What truly mattered.

* * *

_"Ruby was the kindest, gentlest person I ever knew. I first met her by shear coincidence, bumping into her because I wasn't paying attention to anyone but myself and my dust. She just barreled into me. And like myself, I blamed my idiocy on her. I yelled, calling her a dolt and a child who had no place in Beacon. What she did to respond? She sneezed fire dust, exploding her and I… me and her." Weiss paused, eyes closed._

_"Ruby Rose was the first person I could truly call a friend. Someone who did not care about my last name, nor my icy exterior. She wanted to know me for me. To be my best friend and the best partner and team leader she could be. I didn't say it, especially not to her, but she was-is my best friend. Nothing will change that."_

_Weiss stepped away from the headstone and into the arms of her teammates. The embrace was warm, but it was clearly missing their hyper-active leader. The one who would have initiated the hug and forced them into submission until she gave them permission to break it. None of those remaining wanted to break it. Jaune had begun speaking and they still held onto one another._

_"Ruby was the first person I met at Beacon. I lifted her off the ground where she was lying down on the very first day we had arrived. We both got lost." Jaune laughed nervously, scratching his back. "We were both made team leaders and we brought our teams closer together. Team RWBY will always be our sister-team no matter what. But… but what I wanted to tell all of you, was when I gave up on myself. I was the worst in the class and I wasn't getting better. I wanted to do everything by myself. To try and improve by myself with no help from anyone. And that's where Ruby came in. Seeing me wallowing in pity on the hallway floor. It took her just one conversation to set me straight. She told me that it was no shame in getting help and that a true leader wouldn't back down from accepting it. She-Ruby was the leader I wanted to be like. Even two years younger, she was who I hoped to be when I got older. Who I dreamed of becoming like. And now, I will try and continue her dream. As I hope she would have wanted us to. To help people."_

_Jaune left soon after. He was strong and confident in his speech like he rarely every was, but the tears forming in his eyes showed a different story. One of a young man whom had lost someone he cherished so much._

_The speeches continued. But not many in JNPR or what was left of RWBY paid much attention. Qrow had not even shown up. When Yang asked her father, he told her that he rarely did to these types of things. He wasn't at Summer's funeral either. But he assured her that Qrow would be mourning her in his own way. And would be at her grave site eventually. When the initial pain wore off._

_"I found out something new about my semblance." Yang said, drawing the attention of her teammates and those of their sister-team as they sat on the wet grass. Yang pulled a single blade from the ground and twisted it in her fingers._

_"And?" Blake nudged, trying not to rush the heartbroken sister._

_"I always thought that my semblance fed off of physical blows. Physical pain. Apparently it's just pain in general. No need for the physical."_

_The group was unsure of how to respond to Yang's remarks. There was no cheer or levity in her voice. There never was. Not since Ruby._

_"I don't know how long I'll be able to fight it. I'm fighting against my inner self. One day, I'll snap. I'm already broken."_

_Blake placed a hand gently on Yang's knee, reassuringly. "You aren't broken. Your just in pain."_

_"Ruby was everything happy and good in my life. There isn't anything left to be happy about anymore."_


	3. Chapter 3

**And we made it. The final chapter to this three part story. I hope you all enjoy. There will definitely be an epilogue. I already wrote it.**

* * *

The two girls were starting to get nervous. They had just passed a sign for Saishu Kioku. The town was getting closer and they still had not seen Yang. Worse, they were almost out of time. They would reach the town in a few days, meaning that Yang could be there sooner. Their pace increased. They began leaving behind the non-essentials in order to lighten their loads. They rose long before the sun did and stopped long after it set. The began to split up more, relying on their scrolls to keep in contact. Any path that might lead to Yang, they tried.

The two grew more and more tense. It wasn't just Yang's life at risk, but those of countless more innocent people. People that they had saved only a few months before. If Yang destroyed it, she would not only be destroying the lives of many people, but the last place Ruby saved a life. The place where she gave her own to save them. To become the first person in history to kill a Cryptic. They would not allow Yang to ruin Ruby's last memory. They could not.

And so, they sped up. Their eyelids became filled with bags and their bodies sore from the breakneck pace and lack of sleep. They grew thinner as they ate and drank less. But still, they pushed on.

Fire.

Weiss smelled fire. It was the middle of the night and she woke from her fitful slumber to the smell of smoke and fire. Quickly, she shook Blake. "Blake, Blake!" She whispered hurriedly.

"What is it?"

"How far are we from Saishu Kioku?"

"Still a few days. We won't be able to even see the town for another two."

"I smell smoke."

Blake shot up immediately, taking in a deep breath to confirm the smell for herself. It was definitely smoke.

"Yang couldn't have reached the town yet. Even if she did, the smoke wouldn't be able to reach us."

"Then what's burning?"

Weiss's eyes widened as her own thoughts answered her question. Blake's answer soon followed.

"Yang!" She spoke as one, leaving their sleeping bags where they lay and grabbed their weapons.

They saw her flames before they saw her body. No wonder the villages had burned down so quickly, her flames rose higher than they had ever seen. They began to feel the heat, but pressed forward, now running and shouting out Yang's name.

Finally, they saw her. Her clothes were in tatters and her hair unkempt. There was soot on her cheeks and scrapes and cuts across her entire body. Around her bicep was a thin strand of red fabric. The same material that made up the strands around Weiss's and Blake's own biceps. Ruby's hood had been split between her family and closest friends. Tai said it was what she would have wanted.

Yang walked forward at a very slow pace, screaming in rage without breath. Her moans filled the air and struck fear into the girls.

"Yang!" Blake shouted.

Yang froze, her shouts silenced by the mention of her name. She turned to face them. Her eyes blood red and crossed into a look of shear torture.

"Yang?" Blake tried.

Yang screamed wildly, charging at the monochrome pair with fury, her hands balled into fists and locked behind her in a wind-up strike. Blake jumped away as Yang threw her first attack, striking Blake's shadow clone, disintegrating it immediately.

"Yang it's us! Your friends!" Weiss called out, diving for cover as Yang struck at her.

This did not stop the enraged blonde, who fought on. Throwing punches and kicks wildly at the two. Weapons drawn, Blake and Weiss charged in, hoping to land even a single strike that could break Yang's aura and stop her everlasting semblance.

Yang was strong. Immeasurably so. Blake retreated, leaving another shadow-clone made from stone in her wake, only to have it demolished with a headbutt. Yang spun with an open-handed strike, hitting Blake in the shoulder, sending her spirally to the ground.

"No!" Weiss shouted, diving for her friend and unleashing a flurry of white dust. Ice filled the space between them and the blonde. A glacier of frost and ice forcing Yang to take a step back from her one-time allies and friends. It was melting quickly.

"Come on Blake. Get up. Get up Blake!" She shouted, pushing hard on her shoulders and more gently on her cheeks.

"Ugh, she's stronger than I remember." Blake groaned, rolling onto her side.

"We can't stop her like this. There's no way to talk with her. No way to reason with her or calm her down. She's all anger." Weiss was frightened, the fear clear in her eyes.

Yang screams continued.

"Those screams don't sound angry to me." Blake whispered.

They didn't. They didn't have the same ferocity that came from Yang's hard temper. This was something different, something more emotional than rage or anger. These were moans of pain and anguish. The ice wall continued to melt, leaving glaring holes inside which only grew as Yang continued to punch it. The two team members could gaze onto Yang's fiery face. Her eyes were red, but they were also bloodshot. Her scowl was less so, one of hostility, but one of complete and utter sorrow. There were no tears, but it was clear the girl was crying. Her flames were evaporating the liquid.

Yang's semblance. It did not gain strength from just physical pain. Any pain worked. Emotional pain worked well. There was no stopping Yang's semblance, because there was no stopping Yang's grief. The two looked at each other, knowing what must be done. Their expressions were grim, but they nodded to each other in confirmation. It was something they must do. Something to save not only Saishu Kioku, but the memories of both Ruby and who Yang had once been.

The ice wall collapsed. Blake and Weiss sprang into action. Weiss sent a torrent of dust at Yang, while Blake struck from behind. Gambol Shroud struck hard into Yang's back, slicing at her shoulder blades. Blake grit her teeth against the immense heat, which was digging into her own aura. Still, she pressed on, leaping back as Yang twisted to strike.

The blonde had no time to consider Blake, as Weiss darted forward quickly with the aid of her glyphs to land a blow on her chest. Myrtenaster dug deep, then was pulled out, striking again and again. Yang howled in pain, but continued her own onslaught, striking the two girls with powerful blows.

Yet Weiss and Blake fought on. Even as their aura decreased, they fought. There was nothing else they could do. Blades against fists. Drawing blood as often as possible to slow down the blonde's tortured fury.

They struck. Hammering into her. Not resting, even as they grew more tired. Panting from exertion and stress. They knew what was coming.

Weiss struck first.

Blake followed soon after.

Yang's flames died down. She looked up at her two teammates. Her red eyes flickered, then filled with lilac. Her clenched jaw relaxed and her hard expression softened. She looked to Weiss first, then to Blake. There was no malice in her. No disappointment and no confusion. Her shirt was soaked with blood and it continued to seep through.

"Weiss. Blake." Yang said.

Their eyes filled with tears.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

Her eyes stilled and she slumped forwards. Her last words having been spoken. Weiss sheathed her blade and Blake followed suite.

"Say hello to Ruby for us." Weiss whispered.

She spun around, hugging Blake tightly, her forehead resting in the crux of Blake's neck. The two girls held each other as the blood of their friend pooled at their feet.


	4. Chapter 4

Saishu Kioku was a remarkable town. So beautiful with an old-fashioned charm that one could not get in Vale. It was big, yet it had no combat school. At least, it didn't have one when team RWBY first ventured into it's walls.

Now, as Blake and Weiss walked through the streets, they noticed the ongoing construction of a building in the town's center. Very near to the mayor's office. It was built in the same fashion to the rest of the buildings. Soft sloped roofs with a checkered white exterior. Doors which slid to the side instead of opened forward or back.

This building was different though. It was almost complete, but it was not what was inside the building which made the monochrome pair stop to look, but the name of it, as well as the statue out front.

It was made of stone, no doubt quickly put together by a few masons and stone-carvers whom lived nearby. The statue of a girl, with a hood pulled over her head. The statue however had a clear face. It was smiling down on them. The expression was clear as day. Happy eyes with a natural smile and scrunched up cheeks which showed nothing but bliss and contentment. One hand was on her hip, but the other held the girl's weapon. A scythe taller than she was.

Blake read the description underneath.

_Ruby Rose. Slayer of Cryptics. Founder of the Crimson Combat School of Saishu Kioku. Leader of Team RWBY (Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long), saviours of Saishu Kioku._

_"As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves."_

_Her words will live on as this school's motto._

Blake and Weiss hugged once more. They knew what Yang would have said at this very moment.

"You did it Ruby. You really did it."

* * *

**I would like to thank all of you who stuck with me and read this story, even with the fairly short chapter lengths. See, I told you there would be an epilogue and that it would be short. Please feel free to leave a comment or criticism. I live for critiques and correcting spelling and grammar of my stories.**

**Once more, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed When Roses Wilt. I can't believe over 1,200 people have read this story. It honestly boggles my mind that so many people enjoyed it.**

**Anyways, I hope to release the first chapter for a new story next week. One that will be much more comedic. It's release schedule is entirely dependent on how many chapters I can write up before then, but I'm hoping to stick to the once a week schedule I have so far.**


End file.
